Halfway through our two-year OCONUS orders, my family is embracing our “sweet spot” summer. That glorious (and brief!) time at a duty station when things finally feel aligned.

The stress of arriving is behind us, and the sadness of departure is a distant point on the horizon.

Last June, we arrived on Guam only weeks after the devastating Super Typhoon Mawar left its mark on every aspect of the island. My family of four (plus our dog and cat) lived in a hotel room for nearly a month, and then after we moved into on-base housing, it took another month for our HHG to arrive.

It took a bit for us to adjust to the major time change and the tropical sun, but also to the more mundane things: making friends, settling into a new neighborhood, and school.

We’d never lived on base before. We had certainly never lived on an island, or been so far away from the simple comforts we took for granted back on the mainland.

Now that we’ve been here for a full year, in the midst of summer break, I’m trying to hit the pause button.

The “sweet spot” we currently inhabit is a glorious place to be. We have a village here: great neighbors, and a circle of genuine friends that look out for us. We have favorite beaches and playdate spots. We’re active in a mothers group, CYP (child youth program) sports teams, and frequent our fitness center, pool, and library programs.

We can say that “We did it!” We moved to an island on the other side of the world, we created a village out of strangers, and are our family is happy here. My kids are happy here.

That is the ultimate “sweet spot.”

Military families spend so much time in transition. Our lives are endlessly in flux. We navigate deployments and work trips, struggling to fill the holes our service member left behind, and then to make room for them again after homecoming.

Then we get orders, uproot for a PCS, and carry the stress and anxiety over all the changes and to-do lists. Once we arrive at our new home, missing old friends and familiar places, we must encourage new roots to thrive and operate within a new community.

Doing all of that successfully is not easy, but it’s a triumph that should be celebrated!

Arriving at that “sweet spot” looks different for everyone, but it hopefully it comes with a sense of ease, and a feeling of contentment. It’s a bit like rafting down a river.

Having successfully navigated a stretch of rapids, we find ourselves in a peaceful, slower current. We can finally look around and appreciate the scenery. For just a little while, we can forget about the swift waters looming ahead, which will inevitably sweep us onward to another destination.

For just a little while, we can breathe and enjoy the ride.

If you haven’t hit that “sweet spot” yet, don’t give up hope for it.

If you continue to show up and face the challenges, it will come. But it’s more than just familiarity; it’s a hard-won respite, knowing that you did the best you could to navigate not only logistical challenges, but emotional ones as well.

It’s the pat on the back you should give yourself for sticking it out long enough to get to this feeling.

If you’re there like I am, pause for a moment to appreciate it! If you’ve just left it, headed onto your next unknown, then breathe easy. It will come again.

If you’re in the rapids right now wondering if it will ever slow down… hang on just a bit longer. Your very own “sweet spot” is likely just ahead.

*To read more posts from Kaci, click HERE!